From the beginning it was clearly apparent to Mrs. Uhler that her husband expected too much from her; that he regarded her as a kind of upper servant in his household, and that he considered himself as having a right to complain if things were not orderly and comfortable.  At first, she met his looks or words of displeasure, when his meals, for instance, were late, or so badly cooked as to be unhealthy and unpalatable, with—­

“I’m sorry, dear; but I can’t help it.”

“Are you sure you can’t help it, Barbara?” Mr. Uhler at length ventured to ask, in as mild a tone of voice as his serious feelings on the subject would enable him to assume.

Mrs. Uhler’s face flushed instantly, and she answered, with dignity: 

“I am sure, Mr. Uhler.”

It was the first time, in speaking to her husband, that she had said “Mr. Uhler,” in her life the first time she had ever looked at him with so steady and defiant an aspect.

Now, we cannot say how most men would have acted under similar circumstances; we can only record what Mr. Uhler said and did: 

“And I am not sure, Mrs. Uhler,” was his prompt, impulsive reply, drawing himself up, and looking somewhat sternly at his better half.

“You are not?” said Mrs. Uhler; and she compressed her lips tightly.

“I am not,” was the emphatic response.

“And what do you expect me to do, pray?” came next from the lady’s lips.

“Do as I do in my business,” answered the gentleman.  “Have competent assistance, or see that things are done right yourself.”

“Go into the kitchen and cook the dinner, you mean, I suppose?”

“You can put my meaning into any form of words you please, Barbara.  You have charge of this household, and it is your place to see that everything due to the health and comfort of its inmates is properly cared for.  If those to whom you delegate so important a part of domestic economy as the preparation of food, are ignorant or careless, surely it is your duty to go into the kitchen daily, and see that it is properly done.  I never trust wholly to any individual in my employment.  There is no department of the business to which I do not give personal attention.  Were I to do so my customers would pay little regard to excuses about ignorant workmen and careless clerks.  They would soon seek their goods in another and better conducted establishment.”

“Perhaps you had better seek your dinners elsewhere, if they are so little to your fancy at home.”

This was the cool, defiant reply of the outraged Mrs. Uhler.

Alas, for Mr. Herman Uhler; he had, so far as his wife was concerned, committed the unpardonable sin; and the consequences visited upon his transgression were so overwhelming that he gave up the struggle in despair.  Contention with such an antagonist, he saw, from the instinct of self-preservation, would be utterly disastrous.  While little was to be gained, everything was in danger of being lost.